Citizen Celebrates 100 Years of Watchmaking with New Series 8 GMT

Centennial anniversaries don’t come around all that often, naturally, and Citizen is taking full advantage of its own this year with not only some incredible new releases, but also by celebrating some of the greatest hits from the Japanese brand’s past. This week, Citizen is presenting a new Series 8 880 GMT that builds off the formula first introduced in 2023 in a highly unique way. This is a watch that transcends the sum of its parts, and works way better than you might expect from reading the description. It is a perfectly fitting celebration of 100 years of Citizen-branded watches, as well as an expansion of one of our favorite collections from the brand in recent years.

The Citizen Series 8 collection was launched in 2021 as a part of a renewed push into new mechanical movements that was spearheaded by the more-premium Caliber 0200. The Series 8 showcased a new integrated-bracelet design against three series models: the 830, 831, and 870. Each of the watches used the Citizen-made Caliber 0950 automatic movement, which would form the first building blocks of a new generation of movements as the collection expanded. 

In 2023, Citizen released a GMT variation of the Series 8 using the Caliber 9054 automatic movement that boasts “flier”-style functionality, meaning the hour hand is independently adjustable. This allows for quickly adjusting to local time when traveling between time zones, without losing track of the “home” time being kept by the 24 hour hand. The new GMT collection was an immediate hit thanks to its approachable packaging of this complication, and the watches happened to look every bit the part, as well. It is this collection which Citizen is utilizing here to showcase a concept in celebration of 100 years of watchmaking.

The newest Series 8 880 GMT uses a two-toned case and integrated bracelet, but not in the way you might be expecting. This watch pairs gray and blue sections of steel that comprise the case and bracelet sections, including the distinctive two-part case that was a signature of the original back in 2021. Here, that contrast carries through into the center link of the bracelet, pairing deep gray and blue to brilliant effect. Even if you don’t consider yourself a two-tone person, this watch might give you pause. 

The case itself is 41mm in diameter, and 13.5mm in thickness, though it’s worth noting that there is no traditional lug here, so it will wear a bit smaller than you might imagine based on the numbers alone. There is an exhibition caseback here, which provides a view of the Caliber 9054 inside, and while it may not be traditionally beautiful, it’s a relevant nod to what has been a game-changing caliber for the industry. 

The gray-and-blue case serves as a perfect foundation for the dial, which also looks to break against stereotypes. Citizen has opted for a mother-of-pearl material here, which also features a blue gradation that provides a huge amount of depth to the dial. This is a stunning use of the material, which is not typically associated with sport watches of any kind. There’s no denying the effectiveness, however, as it stands in stark contrast to the dark gray and blue of the case, framed by the bicolor black-and-blue 24-hour bezel.

Overall, the effect is not only beautiful in and of itself, but stands as a deviation from what we expect in a watch of this genre. The execution is thoughtful, and forces a confrontation of our expectations. This is a watch that could have easily gone another direction, and been rather forgettable in the process, but here, Citizen is carving its own path by wielding an unexpected execution in an effective and practical manner. It’s a perfectly fitting tribute to the company’s history, and bodes well for its future.

This Citizen Series 8 880 GMT Mechanical Model Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the First CITIZEN Branded Watch is limited to 2,200 units worldwide, and will be priced from $1,995.